Farmers’ market THE BOOK
Farmers’ market
Farmers’ market THE BOOK Edited by Cecilia Moura
Design copyright Š 2016 by Cecilia Moura All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publlisher Manufactured in The United States
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CONTENTS 01
02
WHAT ARE FARMERS’
TEN REASONS TO
MARKETS?
BUY LOCAL FOOD
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03
04
THE GREEN
HEALTHY
CHOICE
COMMUNITIES
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05
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FRESH AND
FARMERS’ MARKETS
NUTRITIOUS
OF BAY AREA
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07 RECIPES FROM THE MARKET 76
01 WHAT ARE FARMERS’ MARKETS?
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A farmers’ market is a public and recurring assembly of farmers or their representatives, selling directly to consumers food which they have produced themselves. More specifically, a farmers market operates multiple times per year and is organized for the purpose of facilitating personal connections that create mutual benefits for local farmers, shoppers, and communities. To fulfill that objective a farmers market defines the term local, regularly communicates that definition to the public, and implement rules/guidelines of operation that ensure that the farmers market consists principally of farms selling directly to the public products that the farms have produced. Some states have even established their own formal definitions which specify market characteristics in more detail. The number of farmers markets in the United States has steadily grown to more than 8,100 registered in the USDA Farmers Market Directory in 2013.
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MORE ABOUT Q
A
WHAT WILL I FIND AT A FARMERS’ MARKET? It depends. Farmers markets vary in size and shape. Some are just a few vendors who gather a few days out of the year, monthly. Some involve hundreds of vendors and take place every week of the year. The products available at farmers market generally represent their agricultural region, meaning that you might find avocados, almonds, and artichokes in California, and be more likely to find peanuts and peonies in Virginia. Some markets concentrate on produce. Others carry everything from fruits and vegetables to baked goods, meat, eggs, flowers, and sometimes dairy products. Some may carry locally made crafts or prepared foods as a complement to the agricultural products for sale. As the number of markets grows, so does the variety of foods available. HOW DO FARMERS’ MARKETS DETERMINE WHAT TO CARRY? What is at market depends on a combination of location, season, and market rules about what can be sold. Many farmers markets only carry locally-grown, locally-made and/or locally-processed, foods, and create a system of guidelines that ensure vendors are producing what they are selling. Others have more flexible policies. The great thing about farmers markets is that if you are ever unsure about what a product is, where it came from, or how it was grown, you can just ask! Charming and colorful stand with flowers from one vendor at Palo Alto farmers’ market
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ARE FARMERS’ MARKETS ONLY OPEN IN THE SUMMER? Peak harvest season is usually peak market season, and some farmers markets are only open in the prime summer months. In 2010, about 15% of all markets were open in the winter months, and the average seasonal farmers market in the U.S. is open for approximately four and a half months of the year. However, you can expect to see more markets open for business in late spring through early fall, as markets aim to provide customers with products for more months of the year. Many markets are expanding their seasons through the winter or even all year round with things like meat, eggs, dairy, bread and other products that are available fresh all year long. Even in colder climates, farmers are implementing a variety of season extension techniques that can protect crops from frosts and allow them to provide you with quality fresh produce for more weeks of the year. You can learn more about what is seasonally available in your community here. HOW CAN I FIND A FARMERS’ MARKET NEAR ME? Farmers markets are in every state and located in all kinds of places, from city squares to civic centers, from parks to parking lots, from sidewalks to shopping centers. Urban markets are often in central locations easily accessible by foot, bike, or public transportation. To find a market near you, ask your neighbors, friends, and colleagues, or search for one in USDA’s Farmers Market Directory. A large number of states have a statewide farmers market association that can also provide you with information. But if you live in California, New York, Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, Ohio, or Kentucky you are lucky enough to be in a state with the most farmers markets in the country. Home made broth can be found year round at Palo Alto Farmers’s Market
The great thing about these markets is that if you are ever unsure about what a product is, where it came from, or how it was grown, you can just ask!
DO FARMERS MARKETS ONLY TAKE CASH? There are many ways to pay at farmers markets. Cash usually works best. But EBT machines can be used to process payments for credit cards and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) payments. In the past five years, the number of farmers markets and direct marketing farmers authorized to accept SNAP has increased 360%, and 52% between 2010 and 2011 alone. According to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Benefits Redemption Division, there were 3,214 farmers markets and individual direct marketing farmers authorized to accept SNAP, as of September 30th, 2012. The amount of SNAP benefits redeemed at farmers markets increased by 42%
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between 2011 and 2012, and a 490% increase in the past decade. In addition, more than 4,070 markets accept Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers and 4,590 markets participate in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). In 2011, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service reported over $38 million was spent at farmers markets through these two programs alone. WHO OPERATES FARMERS MARKETS? Some big urban areas are home to regional market networks, such as Greenmarket in New York City and Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance in Seattle. Many markets operate independently, or with the help of city or nonprofit partners, sometimes transitioning to a stand-alone nonprofit as they grow. No matter how farmers markets organize, there is always a market manager or market master who enforces the market bylaws and oversees the daily business of the market. IS PRODUCE FROM THE FARMERS MARKET ALWAYS FRESHER AND HEALTHIER? According to a survey conducted by Farmers Markets Today magazine, more than 85% of farmers market vendors traveled fewer than 50 miles to sell at a farmers market in 2008. In fact, more than half of farmers traveled less than 10 miles to their market, according to a 2006 USDA survey. Some farmers markets require that all of their produce come from a specified mileage limit. Compare that to other scenarios where seven to fourteen days can go by between the time produce is picked and when it becomes available at a supermarket. In that interval, fruits and vegetables can travel, on average, more than 1,200 miles before reaching the final consumer.
Q&A
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Usually samples of fruit and vegetables are offered to constumers Fresh flowers from Palo Alto Farmers’ Market
Farmers’ Markets are a community experience, where people socialize
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Since studies have shown that produce loses nutritional value as more time elapses from the time of harvest, locally grown produce available at farmers markets is available to you at the peak of freshness and nutrient availability. WHY SHOULD I SHOP AT A FARMERS MARKET WHEN MY SUPERMARKET SELLS ORGANIC, AND SOMETIMES EVEN LOCAL FOOD? While some food retailers do carry local and organic products, not all of them can carry a variety of local foods, or ensure a fair price to the farmer. Shopping at a farmers market is a wholly unique experience that benefits farmers and producers directly (they go home with a greater share of the retail price than they would by selling wholesale, where the margins are, well, just that– marginal), offering you more unique products, more heirloom varieties, and more opportunities to build relationships and learn about healthy eating. Farmers markets are a community experience, where you can meet your neighbors, friends, and farmers, and where more of your dollar will stay in the community. ARE PRICES FOR FOOD THE SAME AT FARMERS MARKETS AS IN GROCERY STORES? Farmers market vendors are local entrepreneurs who, like other retailers, set prices that allow them to reasonably cover their costs. Prices vary by product, but a number of studies found that similar produce are typically less expensive at farmers markets than at nearby grocery stores. A recent Economic Research Service report showed that less healthy foods tend to have a low price per calorie, increasing the difficulty of adding fresh fruits
and vegetables into American diets. However, a price study conducted by students at Seattle University showed that most vegetables sold at the farmers market had lower if not comparable prices to their grocery store. One cost advantage that farmers markets offer is the ability to buy fresh food in bulk at the height of the season and preserve or freeze for later use when the product would otherwise be more expensive, hard to find, or of lower quality. WHEN I SHOP AT A FARMERS MARKET, WHERE DOES MY MONEY GO? At a farmers market, you hand your money to the person who grew or made the products in front of you. According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, more than 130,000 agricultural entrepreneurs are selling products directly to the people eating them. In 2005, such direct sales at farmers markets exceeded $1 billion nationwide. A series of case studies by Civic Economics shows that for every dollar we spend at a large chain, about 15 cents stays in the area, while locally owned enterprises like farms trap 30 to 45 cents. Boise, Idaho’s Capital City Public Market generated an estimated $4.5 million in economic activity for the local economy in 2011 and in Iowa, thanks to the efforts of the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative, sales of local food by farmers in northeast Iowa rose from less than $10,000 in 2006 to over $2 million by 2010. The majority of the money spent at markets, and the jobs that come with it, stay in the communities where the markets are located. The 52 producers of the Williamsburg Farmers’ Market in Virginia generated an estimated $48,969.84 in state sales tax in 2011.Thirty two percent of Crescent City
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Prices vary by product, but a number of studies found that similar produce are typically less expensive at farmers markets than at nearby grocery stores.
Farmers Market shoppers in New Orleans report spending money at nearby businesses, resulting in $3.2 million in projected gross receipts and an annual contribution of $151,621 to local sales tax revenue. Farmers markets generate business, and business creates jobs. A 2011 Economic Research Service report found that fruit and vegetable farms selling into local and regional markets employ 13 full-time workers per $1 million in revenue earned, for a total of 61,000 jobs in 2008. Comparatively, fruit and vegetable farms that are not selling locally employed only three full-time workers per $1 million in revenue.
02 TEN REASONS TO BUY LOCAL FOOD
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Farmers are dedicated to stewardship and committed to quality. And while they love what they do, they aren’t doing it for entertainment. They need to make a living. Consumers that value fresh food and a working landscape should support local farmers by buying their products. Here are ten reasons why.
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Locally grown food tastes and looks better. The crops are picked at their peak, and farmstead products like cheeses are hand-crafted for best flavor. Livestock products are processed in nearby facilities and typically the farmer has direct relationship with processors, overseeing quality, unlike animals processed in large industrial facilities.
Local food is better for you. The shorter the time between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food. Food imported from far away is older and has traveled on trucks or planes, and sat in warehouses before it gets to you.
Ten Reasons To Buy Local Food
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Local food preserves genetic diversity. In the modern agricultural system, plant varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen uniformly, withstand harvesting, survive packing and last a long time on the shelf, so there is limited genetic diversity in large-scale production. Smaller local farms, in contrast, often grow many different varieties of crops to provide a long harvest season, an array of colors, and the best flavors. Livestock diversity is also higher where there are many small farms rather than few large farms.
Local food is safe. There’s a unique kind of assurance that comes from looking a farmer in the eye at farmers’ market or driving by the fields where your food comes from. Local farmers aren’t anonymous and they take their responsibility to the consumer seriously.
Local food supports local families. The wholesale prices that farmers get for their products are low, often near the cost of production. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food, helping farm families stay on the land.
Sample of capricious Goat cheese. Broncha, a cheese made with goat and cow milk. Cheese from Agachadinha Cheese Company
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The crops are picked at their peak, and farmstead products like cheeses are hand-crafted for best flavor.
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Happy consumer buying directly from the farmer’s daughter at Santa Clara farmers’s market
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Local food builds community. When you buy direct from a farmer, you’re engaging in a time-honored connection between eater and grower. Knowing farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the land, and your food. In many cases, it gives you access to a place where your children and grandchildren can go to learn about nature and agriculture.
Local food keeps taxes down. According to several studies by the American Farmland Trust, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas most development contributes less in taxes than the cost of required services. Cows don’t go to school, tomatoes don’t dial 911.
Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid more for their products by marketing locally, they’re less likely to sell farmland for development. When you buy locally grown food, you’re doing something proactive to preserve our working landscape. That landscape is an essential ingredient to other economic activity in the state, such as tourism and recreation.
Ten Reasons To Buy Local Food
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Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms provide ecosystem services: they conserve fertile soil, protect water sources, and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The farm environment is a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife in our communities.
Local food is an investment in the future. By supporting local farmers today, you are helping to ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow. That is a matter of importance for food security, especially in light of an uncertain energy future and our current reliance on fossil fuels to produce, package, distribute and store food.
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03 THE GREEN CHOICE
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Supporting local farmers means that the amount of fossil fuels used to get your food to you is drastically reduced since the farm is much closer to your kitchen. Most produce in the US is shipped an average of 1500 miles before being sold. That’s a lot of fuel! Large national producers use giant industrial farm equipment, and a large amount of packaging materials are needed to keep the fruits and veggies fresh during the trip. Small family farms don’t usually have to deal with that.
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SUSTAINABLE BE ECO FRIENDLY Local farmers deliver fresh, local food to a growing number of shoppers demanding food that is not only healthy, but environmentally friendly. But farmers markets take sustainability a step further. They also ensure farmers can make a living off sustainably grown food, while providing an outlet where communities can find and purchase their products. Sustainability is the overarching theme in this system. Farmers engage in sustainable farming practices to produce healthy food to sustain the local community, who in turn provide the money necessary to sustain the farmers. Each shares in the success of the other in a mutually beneficial relationship that has become a model for sustainability. Farmers who choose to use sustainable practices face a challenging economic climate dominated by large, corporate farms. Many find they cannot compete with the massive volume, low market prices, and government subsidies enjoyed by large operations. Farmers markets offer small and mid-sized farmers a low-barrier entry point to develop and establish a thriving business free from the overhead necessary to sell in large retail outlets. But just as important, farmers markets create a space where the focus of food is on quality and farming practices rather than price alone. Each year, more customers are drawn to farmers’ markets due to an Local food from Palo Alto Farmers’ Market. Because the ingredients are local, they are transported over shorter geographic distances
Organically grown rosemary Sustainable customers prefer reusable bags
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increasing demand for natural and organic food. According to a USDA survey, markets that sell organic products report more customers per week, more vendors, and larger monthly sales. This upward trend depicts a rising consciousness among customers who are concerned with not just what they eat, but how it is produced. As a result, more and more farmers are adopting environmentally sound farming practices that improve, rather than degrade, the natural environment. Farmers selling at markets minimize the amount of waste and pollution they create. Many use certified organic practices, reducing the amount of synthetic pesticides and chemicals that pollute our soil and water. A growing number are also adopting other low-impact practices, such as on-site composting, that help mitigate climate change and other environmental issues. Nearly half of markets sell organically labeled products, and many more sell chemical or pesticide-free labeled products. The ways in which food reaches the consumer vary widely between local food systems and the
conventional global industrial food system. The development of refrigerated trucking, in combination with subsidized fuel costs and changes to methods of harvesting and transporting food, enable conventional food to be shipped over very long distances at fairly low cost to producers. The conventional food system also heavily relies upon centralized processing and packaging facilities that are often located far from the grower and the consumer. Local food systems value a shorter distribution distance between grower/producer and consumer. In addition, local food systems often cut out the middlemen involved in processing, packaging, transporting, and selling food. Local food production-distribution networks often start on smaller, sustainable family farms. Farm products are usually transported over shorter geographic distances, generally processed either on the farm itself, or with smaller processors. The direct-to-consumer market is currently the most established sector of local food distribution. Direct-to-consumer means that all middlemen are cut out of the food distribution equation– farmers sell their products directly to consumers, rather than through third parties.
Farmers markets are the ultimate green sector of the economy.
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2015 SURVEY WITH FARMERS
3 Out of every four SAY THEY USE PRACTICES CONSISTENT WITH ORGANIC STANDARDS
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INCORPORATE COVER CROPS, REDUCED TILLAGE, ON-SITE COMPOSTING, AND OTHER SOIL HEALTH PRACTICES INTO THEIR OPERATIONS.
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DISCUSS FARMING PRACTICES WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS
forty eight percent
USE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, INFORMATION ON THE LIFE CYCLE OF PESTS TO MANAGE AND PREVENT CROP DAMAGE.
SUSTAINABLE? THE OTHER SIDE Farmers’ markets practically glow with wholesome virtue: Shop here, they promise, and you can help build a sustainable, healthy food system! But without the data to buttress those claims, it’s hard to know whether farmers’ markets are actually meeting those goals or how they can adapt to better meet their communities’ needs. Alfonso Morales, a professor of urban planning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, wants to help change that. Fueled by an increasing interest in local food, the number of farmers’ markets in the United States has more than doubled in the last decade. This rise in popularity has been accompanied by the implicit assumption that farmers’ markets are more sustainable than their fluorescent-lit, big-box counterparts. Their environmental advantages, advocates say, are clear. Food is transported shorter distances, which results in lower fossil fuel consumption. Farmers’ markets offer more diverse crops grown by more eco-friendly methods. Broaden the definition of sustainability to include social, health, and economic factors, and you’ll encounter claims that farmers’ markets promote healthy eating and a pedestrian culture, bring fresh produce to underserved neighborhoods, foster entrepreneurship and a diversified
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agricultural economy, and create a social space that builds a sense of community. Farmers’ markets might very well be doing all these things, Morales says, but we don’t know, and he admits that right now there isn’t even a consensus on how to evaluate these “sustainable” activities. “But even so, we have to make a way forward. And the way we make a way forward is though measurement.” Those measurements are relatively easy for major supermarket chains, which have the staff and the budgets for exhaustive market research. Analyzing research data enables big retailers to respond to changing consumer preferences, ensuring that they stay relevant to the communities they serve. Farmers’ markets typically don’t have those resources. That’s where Morales’ project comes in. Morales and his partners at the Farmers Market Coalition are working with managers at nine farmers’ markets around the country to ask, “What is it that’s relevant to them and their community?” They’ll help market managers figure out what data they need and how to collect and present it. Some of the data will help address all those assumptions about the environmental benefits of farmers’ markets, such as the average number of miles the food actually travels, the number of organically farmed acres represented at the market, and how diversified the market’s farms are. Other data will speak to a market’s impact on its community by looking at the number of small businesses started through the farmers’ market, whether it attracts foot traffic to nearby shops, and the number of vendors who are minorities or women. All this data collection will help reveal how each farmers’ market is affecting its community— and how it could be doing better.
Bill Lubing, the manager of the Dane County Farmers’ Market in Madison, agrees that good data is essential when making decisions about how to move a market forward. “There are a lot of people with a lot of ideas,” he said, but a shortage of ways to evaluate those ideas. “More data is always better.” For example, because he ran the market’s newsletter for years before becoming manager, Lubing knows that links to recipes are very popular. Surmising that customers are sometimes stumped by the produce at the market (how do you tackle an entire stalk of Brussels sprouts?), he’s published a series of basic instructional videos, as well as more recipes. Morales argues that good data can do more than improve decision making. It can also help market managers advocate for the market with local business and government. For example, if a farmers market wants permission to open a new branch in a public park in an underserved neighborhood, data showing the amount of produce purchased with SNAP benefits can help persuade the city that it’s a worthwhile use of space. Morales, who worked as a market vendor in Chicago while doing research for his dissertation, believes that professors like him have an opportunity “to really engage with the community directly, and to try to empower people.” The project’s immediate focus is local: to help individual managers make decisions that work in their particular communities. But if the project takes off (and it looks like it’s going to — dozens of markets beyond the original nine have asked to participate) it could generate enough data to start to draw conclusions about the roles of farmers’ markets in the United States as a whole. That’s exactly the kind of large-scale data needed to evaluate whether farmers’ markets are really helping create a more sustainable food system.
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Morales argues that good data can do more than improve decision making. It can also help market managers advocate for the market with local business and government.
Regardless of how they stack up environmentally, Morales believes that farmers’ markets offer something that chain supermarkets can’t: a personal connection to a farmer and to food. “A relationship matters to people,” he said. Lubing agrees. Shopping at a farmers’ market “really has an emotional buy-in factor,” where you feel like you’re cheating on your local cheese maker if you grab a block of Cheddar from the grocery store in a pinch. “And people love that, people crave that.”
04 HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
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Despite the increase in attendance and popularity, these markets are not a trend that’s bound to fade away anytime soon. Farmer’s markets have been around for thousands of years and offer many benefits to local communities. Nothing arouses the senses like walking into a heap of fresh fruits, vegetables and honeys. The atmosphere, unique to local communities, is buzzing as neighbors stop to chat while they choose between the reddest strawberries, sweetest scented pineapples and the deepest blue blueberries. All of this as you revel in the fact that these products are the freshest of fresh and grown locally. At first glance, farmer’s markets may look like a trendy pastime.
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COMMUNITY BENEFITS Farmers markets are certainly nothing new. However, they have changed through the years and now the benefits of these events reach far beyond the farmers’ pocketbook. While it is still common for a group of farmers or at least an agriculture related group to organize the local farmers market, others are increasingly interested in the development, of these events. Included in the group of non-farmers interested in the modern day farmers market is the local Chamber of Commerce, the Main Street Committee and yes, the consumer. For an increasing number of health and quality conscious consumers, the farmers market is becoming the source of choice for fruits, vegetables and even meats in some cases. These customers are increasingly willing to pay top prices for fresh, farm raised products and will gladly forego the convenience of the grocery store to make these purchases at the farmers market. This is great news for the farmers and commercial gardeners who utilize these marketing venues. However, in a growing number of situations the farmers market is being developed into a weekly mini-festival that provides benefits to individual farmers and consumers but also downtown business owners and the community as a whole.
Clients not only buy products, but also have fun, like this consumer that paired with the musician for an unexpected duet
Where farmers markets were once given access to out of the way parking lots behind City Hall, many times to keep them out of the way of “progress, the events are now more commonly held on Main Street or even on the Court House lawn. The more prominent positioning has helped to bring attention back to many downtown areas and the increased traffic drawn by fresh produce has also increased sales for many downtown businesses. These benefits have gained the attention of Chambers of Commerce, local Main Street Committees and other similar organizations that have become more and more active in promoting the development and growth of these events to maximize the complimentary benefits that often result. While the spin off effects associated with farmers markets are variable, there seems to be an opportunity for communities to work together to develop these markets into viable community and economic opportunities.
At the farmers market, city meets country. People learn about where their food comes from‌
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Farmer’s markets are more than places to buy food. They’re important parts of the community. I meet my neighbors there, and I meet farmers.
According to author Michael Pollan, farmers markets are a very important part of building an alternative food chain. You’re now eating in a different way. You’re eating less processed food. There is no high fructose corn syrup in the farmers market. There are no monoglycerides, no triglycerides. None of those additives are present in fresh, seasonal food. When you start cooking food, as opposed to buying it precooked or processed, both you and the farmer benefit, as a matter of health. Pollan also says that a farmers market is kind of like a public square, and there is a nice social energy. There was a study done a couple years ago that found that people have 10 times as many conversations at the farmers market than they do at the supermarket.
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Farmer’s markets are more than places to buy food. They’re important parts of the community. I meet my neighbors there, and I meet farmers. Since most of us are urbanites, we have very little contact with the countryside, but the countryside always supports the cities. Cities cannot survive without rural areas to feed them. At the farmers market, city meets country. People learn about where their food comes from and the people who grow it. Chef Bryant Terry thinks that what makes the farmers market such a special place is that you’re actually creating community around food. Consumers purchase their food directly from the producers, and they build relationships with the people who provide them with their food. It’s exciting for me to bring people to farmers markets who haven’t been before and to give them the opportunity to taste many of the fruits and vegetables that the producers are growing. Farmers want us to sample their food before buying. They’re confident that it’s going to be delicious because it’s freshly picked. When you go to the farmer farmers market and you give a farmer your dollar, you’re ensuring that he or she gets 80 to 90 cents on every dollar you spend. You are helping to strengthen the local economy and support farmers and food artisans. The number of farmers is dwindling every year. It’s up to us as consumers to ensure that they can continue to work the land and provide us with the fresh, healthy, local food we all deserve.
Seller’s approaches for sales are often fun and might work as a conversation starter, bringing farmers and customers closer
FUN
05 FRESH AND NUTRITIOUS
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The fruit and vegetables you buy at the farmers market are the freshest and tastiest available. Fruits are allowed to ripen fully in the field and are brought directly to you. This food is as real as it gets—fresh from the farm. Much food found in grocery stores is highly processed and grown using pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetic modification. Some of it has been irradiated, waxed, or gassed in transit. These practices may have negative effects on human health. In contrast, most food found at the farmers market is minimally processed, and many farmers go to great lengths to grow the most nutritious produce possible by using sustainable techniques, picking produce right before the market, and growing heirloom varieties.
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KICK THE CAN EAT FRESH FOOD Farmers markets contribute to the health of residents by improving the availability of fresh, nutritious, and affordable food within the community. Markets also build local economies by providing local producers with opportunities to sell their produce directly to consumers. Many farmers markets across the country operate in neighborhoods underserved by, grocery stores, supermarkets, and other fresh food outlets. These markets provide much needed access to fresh foods, especially when they accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Access cards, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. Additionally, farmers markets can provide helpful nutrition information to communities regarding the preparation of unfamiliar fresh produce. A study by the Breast Cancer Fund and the Silent Spring Institute published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that food packaging is a major source of hormone-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and plastic softener DEHP, and that a fresh food diet can reduce levels of these chemicals by half in just three days.
This fresh Romanesco shows that fresh food is a natural art
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Nutritious blood orange from Palo Alto Farmers’ Market Fresh brussell’s sprouts from Palo Alto Farmers’ Market
When 20 study participants ate food that had not been canned or packaged in plastic over three days, their urine contained two-thirds less BPA and about 55% less DEHP than when they were eating their usual diet which included packaged foods. When they returned to their normal eating habits, their levels of BPA and the DEHP compound rose significantly. BPA is used to harden plastics. It is also found in the epoxy resin linings of food and soft drink containers and in the ink on most types of paper cash register receipts. DEHP is used to soften plastics and can be found in plastic food wrap. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 93% of Americans have detectable levels of BPA in their bodies. This is problematic because some studies have linked BPA and phthalates such as DEHP to infertility, heart disease and cancer. One study found that even at weak concentrations BPA can block the effects of several commonly used chemotherapy agents on breast cancer cells. There is much debate over the levels at which these chemicals are dangerous. The American Chemistry Council was quick to point out yesterday that “typical consumer exposure to BPA and DEHP, from all sources, is up to 1,000 times lower than government-established safe exposure levels.” However, the US government doesn’t seem quite so confident about its “safe exposure levels” for BPA anymore. In January 2010, the Food and Drug Administration, which had for years insisted that BPA was safe, expressed “concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.” Two months later, the Environmental Protection Agency added the compound as a “chemical
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Packaged food is often processed, which implies a decline in nutrients compared to fresh equivalents, often involving the addition of unhealthy fats, sugars and starch, excess salt, preservatives, flavorings, fillers, etc.
of concern� because of its possible harmful effects on the environment. A small note of caution: although the BPA investigation above described was peer-reviewed, it is a small study and was conducted by groups that are known to be critical about BPA and other chemicals. However, I can think of many reasons besides BPA and phthalate exposure why we should avoid packaged foods.
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Fresh flowers from Palo Alto Farmers’ Market
FRESH
06 FARMERS’ MARKETS OF BAY AREA
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Shopping for fresh-organic-local fruits and produce, as well as specialty foods, has become more convenient with all the regional bay area farmers markets that we have today. Farmers’ markets have exploded in the Bay Area. California Farmers’ Markets Association has managed award-winning Farmers’ Markets in the San Francisco Bay Area for 22 years. This chapter brings a list of these markets by region.
FORT MASON CTR SAN FRANCISCO
Hosted by the Golden Gate National Park Service, the Fort Mason Center Farmers’ Market is held at this historic, former U.S. Army West Coast headquarters serving the Marina neighborhood and city-tourists alike. With over 35 Farmers and Food Purveyors, marketgoers discover the bounty of the Bay Area’s microclimates, the North Bay’s organic farms and the San Joaquin Valley’s finest harvest. This bustling Sunday market, 9:30am to 1:30pm, is the perfect place to find ingredients for a delicious Sunday brunch or picnic. Views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay are awe-inspiring. Market Size 35+ farmers and vendors Time Every Sunday, 9:30 am to 1:30 pm Location Fort Mason Center, Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109
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Farmers’ Markets of Bay Area
CROCKER GALLERIA SAN FRANCISCO
Farm Fresh in the Financial District of Downtown San Francisco, the Farmers’ Market in the Crocker Galleria is framed by a beautiful glass atrium, sprinkled with hand-painted umbrellas. Lunchtime crowds enjoy picking up fresh fruits and vegetables for meals at home and office snacks on their way to the myriad of restaurants above the market. Named number one Favorite Small Farmers’ Market in San Francisco, this award-winning market is year round on Thursdays, 11am-3pm. This Farmers’ Market features Heirloom fruit varieties, Mission Figs, Heirloom Tomatoes, Blackberries, Blueberries, and other organic produce. Market Size 12 farmers and vendors Time Every Thursday, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Location Crocker Galleria, 50 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94104
SERRAMONTE CTR DALY CITY
Celebrating 23 years of bringing together farmers, community and Serramonte Center shoppers, the Daly City Farmers’ Market is the oldest farmers’ market in the CFMA market system. The 22 farmers who started with the market in 1991 continue today with great support of their loyal customers. A diverse selection of produce compliments the diversity of the community, with over 200 table feet of Asian vegetables, and a vast variety of Indian, French, German, Italian vegetables and bakeries. This hugely popular Thursday market recently spawned an additional market on Saturdays, also 9am to 1pm, year-round. Market Size Thursday: 50+ farmers and vendors. Saturday: 20 farmers and vendors Time Thursdays & Saturdays, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Year Round Location Serramonte Mall (behind Macy’s), 133 Serramonte Center, Daly City, CA 94015
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Red cabbages, commonly used in german recipes
Farmers’ Markets of Bay Area
BLOSSOM HILL SAN JOSE
The Sunday certified farmers’ market in San Jose has served the Blossom Hill neighborhood for 17 years, from 9am –1:30pm, Year-round. With over 40 growers and food producers at peak season, this community market hosts many local Santa Clara growers’ bountiful harvest. This year several local organic growers joined the farmers’ market. The market has public transportation access. Market Size 40+ farmers and vendors Time Every Sunday, 9:00 am to 1:30 pm, Year round Location Serramonte Mall (behind Macy’s), 133 Serramonte Center, Daly City, CA 94015
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Farmers’ Markets of Bay Area
MORGAN HILL MORGAN HILL
At the Train Depot Station parking lot, the Morgan Hill Certified Farmers’ Market brings together farmers, food producers and consumers from Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and Hollister every Saturday, 9am to 1pm on 3rd St & Depot Street. Now year-round, a family-friendly Kid’s Craft event was added with fun educational projects to delight all ages. Market Size 35+ farmers and vendors Time Every Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Location Caltrain Station, 3rd St. & Depot St Morgan Hill, CA 95037
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SARATOGA SARATOGA
Held at West Valley Community College, the Saratoga Certified Farmers’ Market offers seasonal fruits and vegetables from Santa Clara County year-round in the parking lot. With over 50 local farmers and food producers, the market features Asian vegetables, honey, mushrooms, eggs, fresh roasted herbed-crusted chicken and more. Market Size 50+ farmers and vendors Time Every Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Location Parking Lot 3, 14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070
Red potatos, commonly used in asian recipes, can be found at Saratoga Farmers’ Market
MOUNTAIN VIEW MOUNTAIN VIEW
Consistently award-winning farmers’ market for over 22 years, this market was voted Top 5 in the Nation by American Farmland Trusts’ Favorite Farmers’ Market Contest. This Farmers’ Market showcases over 80 farmers and food purveyors every Sunday, 9am to 1pm hosted by the City of Mountain View at the Caltrain Station year-round. The third largest market in the state, it offers an extensive selection of organic produce, baked goods and fresh flowers. The market is proud of its Congressional Recognition honoring its efforts to provide fruits/vegetables to those in need through the Community Service Agency. Market Size 80+ farmers and vendors Time Every Sunday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Location Mountain View Caltrain Station,600 West Evelyn Ave., Mountain View, CA 94041
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Farmers’ Markets of Bay Area
DIABLO VALLEY WALNUT CREEK
Voted Walnut Creek’s favorite farmers’ market by Walnut Creek magazine this beautiful setting in Shadelands Business Park has a gourmet ambiance. Farmers bring their best from the nearby Brentwood farming areas. The Kid’s Craft Corner makes this market a family-friendly experience on Saturdays, 9am to 1pm. Market Size 40+ farmers and vendors Time Every Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Year-Round Location North Wiget Ln & Mitchell Dr, Walnut Creek, CA 94598
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Colorful aromatics can be found at Farmers’ Markets, like these garlic
SAN LEANDRO SAN LEANDRO
Established in 1994, the San Leandro Farmers’ Market at Bayfair Center serves as a regional farmers’ market for San Leandro, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo and Hayward areas. Over 45 farmers and food producers offer the freshest produce—-corn from Brentwood, Delta asparagus and Watsonville berries. Saturday from 9am to 1pm year-round with great public transportation access from the Bayfair BART station. Market Size 45+ farmers and vendors Time Every Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Location Bayfair Center, 15555 E 14th St, San Leandro, CA 94578
Red onions can also be found at Farmers’ Markets
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Farmers’ Markets of Bay Area
07 RECIPES
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I
If you cooked at home you could feed four people a hearty, healthy meal at half the price. But It is increasingly uncommon for Americans to eat meals home-cooked from scratch. Instead, 19 percent of us eat fast food several times a week and fully 80 percent eat it once a month or more. The food we eat at home is mostly a matter of heating up food from a factory. These quick and healthy recipes combine fresh ingredients with pantry staples for speedy meals you’ll feel great about eating.
LENTIL, MUSHROOM & SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD’S PIE SERVES 6 5 MEDIUM SWEET POTATOES, SCRUBBED 1 CUP BROWN OR GREEN LENTILS, WASHED AND PICKED OVER 3/4 CUP UNCOOKED STEEL CUT OATS 1 BAY LEAF 1 TEASPOON SALT 1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL 1 POUND CREMINI MUSHROOMS, DIVIDED 1 MEDIUM YELLOW ONION, CHOPPED 1 LARGE CARROT, CHOPPED 1 CELERY STALK, CHOPPED 1 GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED 3/4 CUP LOW-SODIUM VEGETABLE STOCK 1/4 CUP RED WINE 1 TABLESPOON TOMATO PASTE 1 TABLESPOON SOY SAUCE OR TAMARI 1 TEASPOON SMOKED PAPRIKA 1/4 CUP CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick each sweet potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until very soft to the touch. Set aside to cool. In a medium pot, combine the lentils, oats, bay leaf, and salt with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until lentils are soft but not mushy, stirring occasionally to keep the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Discard bay leaf and drain mixture into a colander or sieve.
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Sweet potatoes, ingredient for the Shepherd’s pie
Mushrooms, ingredient for the Shepherd’s pie
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While the lentils and oats are cooking, finely chop half of the mushrooms and set aside. Cut the remaining mushrooms into quarters. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until browned and soft. Add the chopped mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent. Lower heat to medium and add the lentil and oat mixture, followed by the vegetable stock, wine, tomato paste, soy sauce, paprika, parsley, and a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes. Taste, and add salt or correct the seasonings as needed. Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel sweet potatoes with your hands and place in a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash them into a smooth paste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the lentil mixture into a 9-x13-inch baking dish. (For thicker layers, use a 9-x9-inch pan.) Spoon the sweet potato mixture on top and smooth with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling at the edges
COOK’S TIP
• Both the filling and the roasted sweet potatoes can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days before assembling and baking. • This recipe freezes well; after assembling, cover and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake uncovered at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until filling is bubbling at the edges. • Leftover mashed potatoes can be used in place of the sweet potatoes. • Use tamari in place of soy sauce and double-check that you are using gluten-free oats if serving this to gluten-free guests.
BEST EVER BEET AND BEAN BURGERS SERVES 6 3 LARGE RED BEETS (ABOUT 1 POUND) 1/2 CUP BROWN RICE (NOT COOKED) 1 MEDIUM YELLOW ONION, DICED SMALL 3 TO 4 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED 2 TABLESPOONS CIDER VINEGAR 1/4 CUP OLD-FASHIONED ROLLED OATS (GLUTEN-FREE, IF NECESSARY) 2 (15.5-OUNCE) CANS BLACK BEANS 1/4 CUP PRUNES, CHOPPED INTO SMALL PIECES. 1 TABLESPOON EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 2 TO 3 TEASPOONS SMOKED PAPRIKA, TO TASTE 2 TEASPOONS BROWN MUSTARD 1 TEASPOON CUMIN 1/2 TEASPOON CORIANDER 1/2 TEASPOON DRIED THYME 1 LARGE EGG (OPTIONAL, LEAVE OUT FOR VEGAN BURGERS) SALT AND PEPPER
First, cook the beets: Heat the oven to 400°F. Wrap the beets loosely in aluminum foil and roast until easily pierced with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes. Set aside to cool. Cook the rice while the beets roast: Meanwhile, bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and add the rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the rice until it’s a little beyond al dente. You want it a little over-cooked, but still firm (not completely mushy). This should take about 35 to 40 minutes. Drain the rice and set it aside to cool. Begin sautéing the onions when you’re done with the rice (or during, if you’re OK with multitasking!): Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir the onions every minute or two, and cook until they are golden and getting charred
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Beautiful and fresh beets from Santa Clara Farmers’ Market
around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. A few wisps of smoke as you are cooking are OK, but if it seems like the onions are burning, lower the heat. A dark, sticky crust should develop on the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the cider vinegar and scrape up the dark sticky crust. Continue to simmer until the cider has evaporated and the pan is nearly dry again. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Process the oats in a food processor until they have reduced to a fine flour. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Drain and rinse one of the cans of beans and transfer the beans to the food processor. Scatter the prunes on top. Pulse in 1-second bursts just until the beans are roughly chopped — not so long that they become mush — 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl. Drain and rinse the second can of beans and add these whole beans to the mixing bowl as well. Grate the roasted beets: Use the edge of a spoon or a paper towel to scrape the skins off the cooled roasted beets; the skins should slip off easily. Grate the peeled beets on the largest holes of a box grater. Transfer the beet gratings to a strainer set over the sink. Press and squeeze the beet gratings to remove as much liquid as possible from the beets. (You can also do this over a bowl and save the beet juice for another purpose.) Combine the veggie burger mix: Transfer the squeezed beets, cooked rice, and sautéed onions to the bowl with the beans. Sprinkle the olive oil, brown mustard, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, and thyme over the top of the mixture. Mix all the ingredients until combined. Taste the mixture and add salt, pepper, or any additional spices or flavorings to taste. Finally, add the oatmeal flour and egg (if using — it helps hold everything together, but isn’t 100% necessary), and mix until you no longer see any dry oatmeal or egg. Refrigerate the burger mix 2 hours, or up to 3 days: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the mixture to a refrigerator container, and refrigerate the burger mixture for at least 2 hours or (ideally) overnight. The mix can also be kept refrigerated for up to three days before cooking.
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Shape the burgers: When ready to cook the burgers, first shape them into burgers. Scoop up about a scant cup of the burger mixture and shape it between your palms into a thick patty the size of your hamburger buns. You should end up with 6 large patties. Cook the burgers: Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to completely coat the bottom of the pan. When you see the oil shimmer and a flick of water evaporates on contact, the pan is ready. Transfer the patties to the pan. Cook as many as will fit without crowding; I normally cook 3 patties at a time in my 10-inch cast iron skillet. Cook the patties for 2 minutes, then flip them to the other side. You should see a nice crust on the cooked side. If any pieces break off when you flip the burgers, just pat them back into place with the spatula. Cook for another 2 minutes, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 4 more minutes until the patties are warmed through. Serve the veggie burgers on soft burger buns or lightly toasted sandwich bread along with some fresh greens.
COOK’S TIP •Burgers can be frozen raw or cooked. Wrap each burger individually in plastic or between sheets of parchment paper, and freeze. Raw burgers are best if thawed in the fridge overnight before cooking. Cooked burgers can be reheated in the oven, a toaster oven, or the microwave. • While I haven’t had a chance to try grilling these burgers, they are firm enough to do well on a grill, particularly if you cook them in a grill pan or other device. You may also want to add an egg to the mix to help the burgers hold together better.
PUMPKIN CHILI SERVES 8 3-POUND PIE PUMPKIN OR OTHER ORANGE-FLESHED SQUASH SUCH AS BUTTERNUT, RED KURI, OR GOLDEN HUBBARD 2 MEDIUM TURNIPS, ABOUT 3/4 POUND 1/2 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER 1/2 CUP OLIVE OIL 1/2 CUP FINELY GROUND CORNMEAL 2 RED BELL PEPPERS, CHOPPED 1 LARGE ONION, CHOPPED 6 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED 2 TABLESPOONS TOMATO PASTE 4 CUPS VEGETARIAN BROTH 2 (10-OUNCE) CANS DICED TOMATOES WITH GREEN CHILIES, SUCH AS ROTEL 2 (16-OUNCE) CANS CHILI BEANS, DRAINED 2 CUPS FROZEN CORN 1 TABLESPOON CHILI POWDER 1 TEASPOON CINNAMON 1 TEASPOON CUMIN SEVERAL DASHES VEGETARIAN WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER, TO TASTE BALSAMIC VINEGAR, TO TASTE CHOPPED GREEN ONIONS, TO SERVE SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE, TO SERVE SOUR CREAM, TO SERVE
Peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into 1-inch pieces. To make it easier to peel the pumpkin, cut in half, remove the seeds (and set aside for roasting), then microwave each half cut-side down in a shallow dish of water for 5 minutes, or roast the halves at 450째F for about 15 minutes. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, shave off the skin with a sharp knife. Peel the turnips and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (it should hold at least 6 quarts), heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When melted, whisk in the cornmeal until smooth, then stir in the chopped pumpkin, turnip, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, beans, and corn. Stir in the chili powder,
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Pumpkin chili
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cinnamon, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring back to a simmer then reduce the heat and cook for at least 1 hour, or until the pumpkin and turnip are tender. (It gets even better if simmered longer — a whole afternoon, if you have the time). Before serving, taste and season with salt and pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Serve hot with chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
Fresh pumpkins from Farmers’ Market
COOK’S TIP •Vegan & gluten-free pumpkin chili: Substitute olive oil for the butter and offer dairy-free toppings to make the chili vegan. The chili is naturally gluten-free, as long as all prepared ingredients are gluten-free. •Storage & freezing: This chili freezes well, but it’s also a crowd-pleaser, so we rarely have any left!
ROASTED BEET AND TURNIP GALETTE SERVES 8
3 MEDIUM SIZED BEETS 5 SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED RED TURNIPS 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL 1 FROZEN PUFF PASTRY SHEET, DEFROSTED IN THE FRIDGE OVERNIGHT 1/2 CUP RICOTTA A FEW PINCHES OF COARSE SEA SALT 1/4 TEASPOON SMOKED PAPRIKA
Lay out the puff pastry on a baking sheet, pinching the edges to make a little crust. Prick the surface all over with a fork. Blind bake it at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Take it out of the oven and spread the ricotta over the whole surface. When the beets and turnips have cooled a bit, peel the skin off if you wish (I don’t bother), then slice them thinly and layer them over the ricotta. Dust the whole galette with the paprika, then drizzle the galette with another tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes until the edges are golden. Then, cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature. You may wish to drizzle a little more olive oil on each piece before serving, and add another pinch of sea salt.
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Purple turnip from farmers’ market
Academy of Art University School of Graphic Design San Francisco, California 94105 Spring 2016 Designer: Cecilia Moura Class: Type Systems Instructor: Jeremy Stout Title: Farmers’ Market, the book Fonts: Baskerville, Roboto Slab, Roboto, Nexa Rust Slab, CabinSketch
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